Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken is moving deeper into AI-enabled restaurant operations, rolling out Hi Auto’s AI Order Taker across its franchise system after early results demonstrated measurable gains in efficiency, labor stability, and guest experience. The classic American quick-service restaurant (QSR) brand, long known for its homestyle fried chicken, is now making the technology available system-wide following successful deployment in 30 locations.
Rather than enforcing a top-down mandate, Lee’s is offering the AI solution as an optional tool for franchisees, an approach that underscores its emphasis on operator autonomy while still standardizing access to high-performing technology.
Early deployment sets the stage for broader rollout
The decision follows a controlled rollout across company-owned and franchisee locations, where Hi Auto’s system handled real drive-thru traffic under live conditions. Those early installations gave Lee’s leadership confidence that the platform was ready for broader use across a more complex franchise environment.
To support scalability, the company also completed a foundational operational shift: the unification of its POS system and menu database. This behind-the-scenes infrastructure work was critical, ensuring that AI ordering would function consistently across locations rather than being constrained by fragmented menu structures.
Franchisee-first model drives adoption strategy
Lee’s leadership has framed the rollout as an extension of its commitment to franchisee success rather than a technology push.
“Our operators are the backbone of Lee’s, and it’s our job to give them every advantage we can,” said Ryan Weaver, CEO of Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken. “After seeing the results Hi Auto delivered in our first 30 stores, including better labor efficiency, shorter lines, a happier team, and guests getting their orders just the way they want them, we wanted to make this tool available to every franchisee who wants it.”
The company is deliberately avoiding mandatory adoption. Instead, franchisees can choose whether to implement AI ordering based on store needs, labor conditions, and local market dynamics.
Performance metrics reinforce confidence
For operators evaluating whether to adopt the system, the existing performance data plays a central role. Across participating Lee’s locations, Hi Auto’s AI Order Taker has delivered more than 95% order completion rates and 97% order accuracy, reflecting consistency across real-world traffic conditions.
Operational improvements extend beyond order handling. Stores using the system report saving between three and eight labor hours per day, alongside a 17% reduction in employee turnover. Average ticket size has also increased by approximately 1.5%, suggesting that AI-assisted ordering can support upselling without adding pressure to staff.
The system’s design also shifts employee focus away from order-taking and toward food preparation and guest interaction, reducing frontline stress during peak hours.
Technology foundation built for scale
Hi Auto’s broader footprint helps contextualize the rollout. The company powers nearly 1,000 drive-thru locations globally and processes more than 100 million orders annually, with adoption across approximately 200 franchisees in multiple regions.
That scale has allowed the platform to refine its performance in diverse operational environments, from independent QSRs to large franchise systems like Lee’s.
A measured step in franchise modernization
For Lee’s, the AI rollout represents more than a technology upgrade; it signals a structured approach to modernization grounded in infrastructure readiness and franchisee alignment. By unifying core systems first and then layering AI capabilities on top, the brand is positioning itself for long-term operational consistency.
Hi Auto CEO Roy Baharav emphasized this alignment, stating, “Lee’s leadership understands something important: the best technology investments are the ones that empower your operator.”
As more franchisees evaluate the system, adoption will likely hinge on local labor dynamics and performance expectations. But with early results already in hand, Lee’s has effectively turned AI drive-thru ordering from an experimental concept into a practical, system-wide option.
